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Missile Reached Suborbital Space, Carried Atmospheric
Equipment

Iranian officials announced Sunday
the country successfully launched a rocket into suborbital space,
apparently to further its plans to eventually launch satellites
into orbit.

Iran Aerospace Research Director Mohsen Bahrami was quoted by
the Iranian Student News Agency this weekend as saying the research
rocket "was launched successfully into space." Another official,
Ali Akbar Golrou, later told the Fars News Agency the sounding
rocket reached an altitude of 94 miles, before it returned to earth
via parachute.

"The rocket was launched only for scientific and research
purposes," said Golrou, according to the New York Times. "Some of
the news agencies have reported that a missile has been launched
into space, which is false." Earlier reports had stated the rocket
was part of a weapons test, and that it had achieved orbit.

Iran has made no secret its plans to become a space-capable
power. The country launched its first satellite aboard a Russian
rocket in 2005, and Iranian officials have said in the past they're
working to modify the country's Shahab-3 intercontinental ballistic
missile, to launch communications satellites into orbit.

Bahrami told ISNA the rocket launched this weekend carried
atmospheric measuring equipment, developed by the Aerospace
Research Center and the Ministry of Defense. Defense Minister
Mohammad Najar told the Etemad Meli daily newspaper that "building
satellites, launchers, launching the first satellite of Sina with
Russia and entering the space club, creating missile test centers
and expanding its infrastructure and training personnel are among
the ministry’s plans."

The timing of Iran's launch comes two months after the United
Nations Security Council passed a resolution banning trade of
technologies and items that could benefit the country's nuclear and
missile programs. The ban was in response to Iran's refusal to
comply with a deadline to suspend its efforts to enrich
uranium.